What the heck does detente and levelheaded mean?

Words can be super fun.  What strange words do you love?  Even if they’re not very strange many of these SAT/ACT words aren’t used in normal, everyday language.  We dare you to use one of these words in one of your conversations today!  Example:  “You look serene today Julie.”   Do it for the vine?

 

Statuesque; adj. Unusually large or outstanding in carriage and/or demeanor.

The statuesque soap opera cast made headlines.
Surfeit; n, v.

Noun: overindulgence, as in food or drink.

An excessive amount.

The rich town was seen as having a surfeit of material goods.

Verb: to feed or supply to excess, even to the point of disgust.

She was able to surfeit canned goods to me in my time of need and now I have too many canned goods, I don’t know what to do with them.
Titanic; adj. Of or relating to something awesome or great in size or scope.

The rain hit us in titanic proportions and our basement flooded.

Acumen; n. Keenness of mind; good insight; quickness; accuracy.

Her scientific acumen is so sharp that she was chosen to work in the labs months before the rest of her class.
Acute; adj. Clever; sharp of mind; incisive.

My hearing is so acute that no whispers sneak past me.
Astute; adj. Clever and insightful; having an innate ability to understand or perceive.

My mother has an astute mind and so I always go to her for advice.
Canny; adj. Careful; shrewd; clever; wily; full of guile.

She is so canny that she gets away with everything.
Discernment; n. Keenness of insight and judgement.

I try hard to discern between what’s right and wrong.
Judicious; adj. Having sound and prudent judgement.

My father is a judicious person who leads out family with rules to keep us safe.
Keenness; n. Smartly cutting or marked by remarkable mental quickness or understanding.

I have a keen mind and so I understand people well.
Perceptive; adj. Having a keen sense of understanding and discernment.

Because I am perceptive, I understand when my friends are having a hard day.

Assuage; v. To lessen; to take the edge off; to tone down.
To assuage his hunger I gave him two granola bars until we arrived at the destination.
Appease; v. To pacify or make tranquil; to calm down or settle something or someone.

To appease the argument I separated the two.
Composed; adj. Serene and self-possessed; calm and not easily agitated.

I composed myself and then walked in the door of my new classroom, ready to take on the class.
Détente; n. A relaxing or easing of tensions between rivals, often but not always, in a political sense.

It will take years to détente my relationship with my grandparents.
Dormant; adj. Lying asleep or in a calm state, but having the suggestion of life or activity that is temporarily quiet.

When I go to sleep after my three day shift I lie dormant for the next few days.
Imperturbable; adj. Not easily shaken; calm, cool, and easygoing; slow to become excited.

I had to learn to become imperturbable when I got my new boss that is hard to deal with.
Levelheaded; adj. Usually composed and in control; not easily rattled or swayed by differing opinions.

My teacher remains levelheaded unless Jason messes around in class.
Mitigate; v. To moderate in force or intensity; to calm or cool down; to lessen in intensity.

It’s hard to mitigate some peoples anger but a thing to try is to explain the circumstances of why you let them down.
Placate; v. To appease, pacify, soothe, or make amends.

I was able to placate the baby by giving him his bottle.
Placid; adj. Undisturbed, unflappable, calm, serene, and satisfied.

I sat by the placid lake in the early morning and watched the sun rise.
Quiescent; adj. Quiet; still; at rest; serene and calm.

I am a very quiescent girl who loves to read and sit by the lake.
Repose; n, v. Noun: Quiet tranquility; the state of being at rest or asleep.

My grandma’s repose was obvious when we heard her sigh as she watched the sunset.
Serene; adj. Quiet and unperturbed; unaffected by disturbance; at peace within oneself.

The serene scene of the pasture made my anger dissolve.